ReShape Reality「Everyone Levels Up」

Rel lived under an arcane reality. He never once perceived his life as normal. Even now, with his eyes, he could see some white finches flying around in this classroom. Only he could perceive them. The rest of the kids clung to do their trivial tasks—listening to the teacher, preparing notes, etc.

A silent classroom of 6-year-olds would seem unnatural. Kids are bound to scream or create some form of trouble. But not here, not in this room. Why? Because Rel was not too fond of noise.

This was indeed what he truly thought.

But oftentimes, doubts would linger in his mind. Like, was the classroom truly silent because he abhorred the commotion, or was he overthinking?

Since birth, his life's been peculiar. Even now, he could see those birds flying inside a kid and then emerging out. Yet the kid seemed perfectly fine.

'Is it because anyone other than me cannot see them or touch them? If no one else can see or perceive them, does that mean those birds were just a part of my fantasy?' he wondered.

Strange things invariably developed around him. Once, he tripped on a highway. A truck charged straight ahead, but before it could even hit him, it disappeared.

He was left in shock by this incident. A 72 feet long, 8.5 feet wide, and 13.5 feet tall truck had disappeared in the middle of a crowded highway.

But rather than the incident itself, the more shocking fact to him was the reactions of the people around him. No one thought it was odd. No one even noticed. His mom patted his head and inquired if he was alright.

'How could she not acknowledge the enormous truck just disappearing?'

'Was the truck just my fantasy? A delusion? Did I imagine being almost being hit by a truck?'

He concluded that the truck was no more than his fantasy, as that conclusion seemed to be the rational interpretation of that event. We cannot claim an event that no one else can see or feel to be authentic.

'So I am no more than a delusionist, suffering from some kind of mental disability?'

These thoughts always troubled him.

But outlandish things kept happening in his life.

If a 6-year-old could memorize texts with one look, understand equations no other children could, wouldn't the minor's parents or the surrounding people regard the child as strange? Yet, no one around him seemed to notice.

In his eyes, everyone acted so normally. Every day, he would leave his residence, his mom dropped him off at the school. He felt his days being wasted inundated by other kids at school, almost like the same simulation repeated again and again.

He once sneaked into his brother's room, read his book, and solved the maths workbook. When his brother arrived and saw what Rel did, all he said was, "Good job."

This cast a grave shadow of doubt in Rel's mind. After all, a 6-year-old just figured out a 12's class's integral questions, and all his brother said was, "Good job."

The latter day, when Rel asked him about the incident, his brother replied, "Did that really happen?" He did not remember.

More doubts birthed inside his mind.

'Did I delude myself into assuming I'm a prodigy? If no one else acknowledges the tasks I did, then did it actually happen?'

In his perspective, everyone behaved the same way. No one ever picked a fight with him or argued with him. His parents, everyone he had ever met, felt like a 2-dimensional character. Everyone asked, how are you? How cute are you? And typical responses people say to a child.

Sometimes he felt the world revolved around him. Sometimes he felt the world is an illusion. Sometimes he felt nothing. Rel felt no sense of bonds. Love for the family? In his eyes, they looked like a bunch of living structures programmed to love him.

Everyone lived in their own realities, but to him, it felt like everyone else lived under the reality he conceived, and he lived under the delusion he crafted in his mind.

---

Caged in the confinement of solitude, he contemplated the state of his life.

In the darkroom, he rested. His back leaned against the wall.

Rel hated light; it reminded him that the events he perceived were but a delusion. Even in the darkness, he could see some creatures. One crow rested on his right shoulder. Four more rested around him.

Crows, they were the one thing Rel liked.

Their red eyes shone even in the darkness. None of them moved or made any noise. Every one of them rested on the ground, still like Rel.

Loneliness had engulfed his heart. He felt like no one understood him. No one knew how it felt to be like him, to be able to see things others could not, to be entrapped in one's own sense of fantasy and reality.

No one could understand Rel, except Rel.

As such, thoughts loomed over his mind. Something unusual happened.

In the grim darkness, a shade of blue light emerged. The blue light soon took form. The crows backed away. One crow flew by and rested on the light's shoulders.

The blue light took a humanoid shape. Black Hair, like the darkness in a crypt. Blue eyes, deep like the sea. It was like looking at his own reflection.

He understood, what transpired,

"Since I felt only I could understand myself," The other version of him also spoke in unison, "I created another version of myself."

Both of their eyes lit up as a twisted thought took birth in their mind.

If the current world doesn't fit their taste then,

Blue Rel: "Create a one that does."

Rel: "Even if it may be a delusional world."

Blue Rel: "It will be one where we could fit in."

Blue screens formed around both of them,

Between both Rels, a blue sphere shaping a planet formed. Beneath the globe formed a blue board. A wooden piece stood on the board, resembling a king like in a chessboard.

Blue Rel: "But what kind of world?"

Rel: "One that's divided."

Blue Rel: "I see,"

The world used to be a normal place. Everyone had their own motives. Through time, the planet developed. However, the year 2023, the year Rel was born—the year where everything changed.

It was like everyone human present on earth had lost their individuality. No one had a purpose anymore. The development halted. Rel didn't even remember the last time he saw a new movie in the cinemas. They just replayed the old film. When was the last time a new celebrity emerged? When was the last time something new happened?

Yet, no one complained, no one acknowledged the changes.

Rel: "We need to give them a purpose."

Blue Rel: "The world's been too peaceful; I don't like peace. Flags of war should be raised."

Rel: "For war, they need to be divided."

Blue Rel: "First, we divided them."

Previously people used to be divided by gender, color, religion, nationality. Rel needed to something more to separate them.

Currently, the only race like humans were humans, so create six more races like humans. Then new borders would form to separate them further.

Six more pieces formed on the board. Now, there were seven pieces.

Blue Rel: "But what if people don't want to fight?"

Rel: Oh! They will. Humans once were curious beings, and I will darg out their true nature.

Blue Rel: "I see, abilities, grant them something they always dreamed of having, subsequently, the urge to use such abilities will also arise,"

Rel: "But with the sudden emergence of new races, new abilities, we need something to prevent everything from falling into chaos."

Besides the both of them, a new humanoid figure formed—another version of Rel.

Red Rel: [I will guide them towards a substantial change. And make sure they never lose their way.]

Rel: "Now, what if the seven races come to a peace agreement? Or destroy each other?"

Blue Rel: "We have given them a reason to be divided. We also need to give them a reason to unite."

Rel: "I see. Unity, the world's unfair. But the ability they would receive will be equal. One's race, gender, bloodline, rank, none will affect the power they will receive. To me, it doesn't matter what their goals are, what kind of person they are, be a criminal or a saint, only those who strive for greatness will get greatness. The only thing that decides where an individual stands in this world will be the dedication and devotion they pour into their abilities."

Blue Rel: "And among the races, an individual will be born whose endeavor for power atop all others—a person who's hated by all, for not a fault of his own. An individual whose life's filled with nothing but solitude, such a man, would get reborn as the demon king and seek to eradicate all other races."

Red Rel: [For their own survival, they would have to unite, but if we make the demon king unkillable]

Rel: "The wars would never end."

Blue Rel: "But the assurity of the demon king, not winning also needs to be there."

Rel: "Within the seven races, we ensure individuals' creation, who together can subdue the Demon king."

Red Rel: [Within the world, many variations exist, to maintain balance, we need to fragment all of them out]

Rel: Once everything is done, individuality will get reborn. Hopefully, people would have a goal to strive for and I, I would get to live unhindered by the feeling of the world revolving around me.

Thus started long planning of how Rel wanted his world to be. If everything is a delusion, then Rel would stay in the fantasy he devised forever. If it isn't, then the fantasy would turn into reality.